Siphon-dredge.



J. P. TETER.

SIPHON DREDGE.

APPLfcATloN FILED 050.8. 1916.-

' Patented Apr. 30,1918.

JACOB IP. TETER, OF INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA. i'

sirHoN-nnnnen,

. Specification of Letters Patent.

application mea December s, 191s. serial no. 135,766.

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, JACOB P. TETER, a citizen of the United States, anda resident of Indianapolis, county of Marion, and State of Indiana, haveinvented a certain new and useful Siphon-Dredge; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had tothe accompanying drawings, in which like letters refer to like parts.

This invention relates to a means for dredging the bottom of streams primarily to obtain gravel and sand. To accomplish this the principle of the siphon is used so that the sand or gravel from the bottom of the stream may be sucked into a pipe and carried to the place of delivery through the suction and power created by the flow of water through the siphon.

rlFhe full nature of the invention will be understood from the accompanying drawings and the following description and claims:

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation showing a stream of water in cross sec-` tion. Fig. 2 is a planview looking down. Fig. 3 is a central longitudinal cross secf tion taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2.

In the drawings, there is shown a stream 10 having a bed 11 and bank 12. There is a siphon consisting of a pipe line 13 having its end 14E submerged under water and ex tending over the bank to an elevation below the bed of the stream. A valve 15 is provided in the pipe line at the water level. 'llhere is a valve 16 located in said pipe below the water level. Adjoining the siphon there is a dredging pipe 17 which extends downwardly to the bed of the stream so that it will be in position to draw gravel or sand through its lower end by means of the suction ofV the siphon. On the end of said dredging pipe there is a screen 18 which sifts the sand and gravel so as to grade it. A cable 19 or other suitable means is secured thereto so that its position may be changed from time to time to operate a new section of the bed. Between the end 14 of the siphon and the junction of the dredging pipe there is a water pump 20 adapted to pump water from the stream through the pipe 21 into the siphon in order to start its operation, said pump being provided with a valve 22. The lower outlet 23 of the siphon is reduced so as to cause the rush of the water and gravel to be retarded long enough for the Enel' gravel and the sand to pass through the screen 24E in the bottom of the siphon, into a pipe 25 which carries it to additional grading screens, not shown. 'A valve 27 Ais provided between the pump 20 and the Patented Apr.. 3G, A1913...

dredging pipe 17 so that the pump and the end 14 may be cut olf, if desired, and the siphon continue to operate only through the dredging pipe 17. rl`he valve 27 is also provided with an air vent 50 which may be opened while the siphon is being lled, and closed so that it will continue to operate.

There is a valve 26 in the dredging pipe near the water level which is closed until after the operation of the siphon commences,

when it is opened so that the dredging pipe will be operated.

The operation of the siphon is as follows:

The air vent 50 of the valve 27 is opened and the valves 15 and 16 are closed. The pump 20 is then started so that it will force water from the stream into that section of the siphon between said valves, forcing the air therein out through the air vent. When this portion of the siphon is lled with water, the air vent is closed, and the valves 15 and 16 are opened, after which the operation of the pump 20 may be discontinued. The suction of the water that has been forced into the siphon, passing down the incline thereof, will draw more water through the inlet 14: so that a constant passage of water will continue to flow through the siphon. The power and suction exerted by this flow of water will also operate t0 produce a suction through the dredging pipe 17 to the bed of the stream-so that the sand and gravel will be drawn into the siphon and carried out to its dumping place.

The invention claimed is:

A siphoning mechanism for removing gravel from the bed of a body of water comprising a siphoning pipe, one end of which projects into the body of water, and the op posite end in a plane lower than the bed of the body of water, said latter end being rep the Water, a screen mechanism at the free end of the dredging pipe, a Valve in the dredging pipe near the Water level, a pump connected to said siphoning pipe between the end thereof entering the Water and the dredging pipe, a valve for connecting said pump With the siphoning pipe, a pipe conneeting Said puinp With the body oi Water, and a Valve in the siphoning pipe between saidV pump and dredging pipe, said Valve l0 having an air vent.

In Witness whereof, I have hereunto alixed my signature.

JACOB P. TETER.

@epics of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressing the ommissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G. 

